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Thursday, October 3, 2013

Unsolved Mysteries: The Moving Coffins of Chase Vault

The Moving Coffins of Chase Vault Unsolved Mysteries - Mysteries that once were or still are unsolved!

Here is a interesting tale that made the rounds in many newspapers over
the time of the events in question. To begin with, I'll let one newspaper story open this article:

A HAUNTED TOMB. MOVING COFFINS.

"A tale of the mysterious movement of coffins in a sealed vault in the
parish of Christchurch, Barbados, has long been told in the Island.
Fresh authentic evidence just brought to light and published in the
'West India Committee Circular,' confirms the story, and renders it
mysterious in the extreme.

On successive occasions, when the
Chase family vault in the churchyard near Distin's Town was opened, the
coffins were found to be disarranged. A manuscript account by the Hon.
Nathan Lucas, who witnessed the opening of the vault in 1820, has been
unearthed. The document states that the vault was opened several times
for the interment of bodies in 'the first decade of the nineteenth
century. Each time, the coffins were found in extraordinary positions,
and after a burial In 1819 the matter became a much-talked-of mystery.

Mr. Lucas was discussing it with friends in 1820, and they decided then
and there to open the vault and see if the coffins had moved again.
They found the heavy slabs over the entrance untouched, and no marks of
violence were anywhere visible. But in the vault itself the six coffins
were once again disarranged, lying on top of each other and at curious
angles.

The vault was in such a position that water - of which
there were no signs, could not have flooded it. There had been no
earthquake to account for the mystery and no attempt to rob the corpses.

Locals fear of the dead rendered it certain that they had no hand in
it, and the theory of a practical joke was never entertained. 'All I
know,' runs the document, 'is that it happened, and that I was an
eyewitness of the fact.'" (The Daily News, 17 March 1908)

There is a bit of strange history surrounding this vault, starting
before the apparent shifting coffins. When the Chase family had aquired
the vault it was already eighty years old. Originally built by James
Elliot, the first occupant was his wife Elizabeth who was interred
within in the mid to late 18th century.

The vault was then
purchased by the Walrond Family, and when a relative/friend Thomasina
Goddard passed away, the vault was opened and shockingly, Elizabeth‘s
body was no longer to be found... she had disappeared!

It is
important to note that the vault was sealed with a very large marble
slab, and upon this latest opening no evidence was found to suggest it
had been tampered with. With such a mystery, the legend took on a
somewhat supernatural twist with many of the superstitious locals
believing that Elizabeth Elliot was a vampire!

Thomasina Goddard was sealed within the vault and the missing Elizabeth was all but forgotten about.

The Chase family very soon after came to ownership of the vault, and
before long were interring their own family within. It was the opening
of the vault to receive its fourth body (Mr Thomas Chase) that the
coffins located inside were found to be in a disrupted state. No
evidence of break in, no evidence of tampering with the actual bodies...
just coffins not where they should be.

The theme continued
with each new interment, the vault would be opened and coffins would be
strewn about. At one time a wooden coffin had all but been smashed when
one of the heavier, lead coffins had crashed into it.

It was
decided to get to the bottom of this mystery and a kind of investigation
was carried out. The coffins were relocated to their original positions
(two stacks of two, larger coffin at the bottom, smaller on top), the
walls were 'sounded' to ensure no hidden passages, and after that the
floor was covered in a fine sand and the vault cover layed back over,
sealing the coffins inside. Mortar was applied to the slab and the Lord
Governer impressed his own seal within. This time, if there was any
tampering, it would be easy to tell.

Eight months later the
vault was once again opened. No sign had been found of tampering with
the mortar or seals, but when entering the vault itself, the coffins
were once again found to be in utter chaos. The sand on the floor was
undisturbed, no one had been inside and no flood had taken place.

The Chase family have since been removed from the vault and buried in the cemetery.

It was and still is a mystery, though many theories have been put
forward over the years including flooding, earthquakes and magnetism.